Page 10 - Crappie NOW - February 2018
P. 10
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
front of the boat. Anglers can easily control
speed, depth, lure color and size of the Spider rigging is a very effective method for
presentation. Most crappie anglers agree, catching crappie on the St. Johns River, but
this is the best method available for catching so is single pole jigging. Note the pads and
large numbers of crappie. Another option cover along the shoreline just waiting to be
is to tip the jig with minnows. Sometimes dipped.
the crappies want it with minnows and
sometimes they don’t. Some anglers swear
by the old reliable minnow and use straight The length of the pole is a personal
double minnow rigs. choice, but most anglers like to dip with 10
“We spider rigged the edges of the foot or longer poles. It all depends on how
creek channels,” said Richard. “The baits far away from the boat you want to fish. A
were pushed in 10-12 feet of water while long pole gives the advantage of covering a
experimenting with different depths. The larger area from a single location.
method caught good numbers of crappie, but The crappie will often be in schools
they had no size to them. We spent two days and once you find them under the pads you
going back and forth between longlining and can return to the same location for up to two
spider rigging.” weeks and find them right there in that same
On the third day Richard and Rayner spot.
decided they wanted to “feel the thump.” Some crappie anglers run the boat
They turned to their self-declared favorite along the side of the pads and dip baits up
method of catching crappie ─ single pole in them. Others run the boat right up in the
jigging. The St. Johns offers miles of lily middle of the pads and fish all around the
pads, grass and laydowns to fish vertically boat. When the crappies are in the cover it
by dipping jigs extended from long jigging is up close and personal fishing. You may
poles. only have 2 or 3 feet of line between the rod
10 Crappie NOW February 2018
